Checker-board.



G. O. LOWE.

UHECKER BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8, 191a.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

cf/ numdo'o U. Lowe wi tmeooeo I Jgmi' (1 O. G. LOWE.

GHEOKER BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. a, 1913.

1 @87,797@ Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

2 SHEETS-BHEET 2.

llIlliillll UNITED STAKES PATENT OFFICE.

I CLAUDE C. LOWE, OF ST. JbSEPI-I, MISSOURI.

CHEGKER-BOARD.

nosmoa.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE C. Lows, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Checker-Boards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in checker-boards, or boards of the class commonly used in playing the game of checkers, the object of the invention being to provide a board in the playing spaces of which are arranged drums or movable elements, each bearing a series of the designating checker-block characters employed in the game, any of which'characters may be brought into display position by adjustment of the drum or movable element whereby the game may be played by adjusting the character bearing elements to indicate the moves or plays. i

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, Figure l is a top plan view of the checkerboard, showing some of ,the drums employed. Figs. 2 and 3 are sections on the lines 2-2 and 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the board with a portion of the bottom of the board broken away. Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 2 showing one of the drums and its supporting parts on an enlarged scale. Fig. 6 is a view of one of the drums as it would appearwhen flattened out.

In carrying my invention into practice, I provide a checkerboard l, which is preferably formed of rows'of strips 2 and 3 arranged at right angles to each other to form the required number of playing and non-playing spaces, the latter being closed by surfacing blocks 4. The board is completed by a bottom 5, secured to the strips in any preferred manner.

Within the pockets of the playing spaces of the board are arranged drums or movable character bearing members 6.

All of the character bearing members, 6 of each transverse row revolve upon a common transverse rod or shaft 7 extending through the strips 3.. Each character bearing member or drum has its periphery projecting slightly above the surface of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 8. 1913. Serial 11'0. 740,850.

Patented Feb. 1 7, 1914.

board so that it may be revolved b pressure of the thumb or finger.

Each revoluble character bearing member or drum is provided upon its periphery with equidlstant spaces 8, 9, 1.0, 11 and 12 representing respectively a black checker spot, a black crowned checker spot, a white checker spot, a White crowned checker spot, and a blank space denoting that there is no checker in that playing space or spot, and either one of these characters or spaces may be brought into the plane of the surface of the board for display by rotating the drum or movable bearing member on its axis. For the purpose of holding the drum in any of its adjusted positions, while permitting it to be turned freely, I provide a coiled brake spring 13 surrounding the shaft of the drum at one side of the latter and hearing at one end against a brake surface 1 1 on the drum and at its opposite end against a suitable abutment 15 on the shaft, the pressure of said spring holding the drum securely enough to retain it in adjusted position against accidental displacement, while permitting the drum to be positively turned.

The described construction of the board allows an ordinary game of checkers to be played in the usual way, by adjustment of the drums to indicate the moves or plays. The use of the drums which are permanent fixtures of the board, also enables a compact board to be provided and obviates liability of loss of any of the movable playing elements.

I claim:

A portable checkerboard comprising a nipulation, friction brake disks siidabiy mounted on the shafts adjacent said en- Iarged openings to frictionally engage the respective drums, abutments on the shafts within the closed p0c kets, and coiled pressure s rings surroundm the shafts between said a utments and the riction brake disks, said springs extending through said enlarged openings in said partition strips, said friction brake disks being adapted to permit 10 revoiubly movements of the drums in opposite directions.

In testimon whereof I afiix my signature in presence oi two witnesses;

CLAUDE C. LOWE. Witnesses F. M. LAwLoiz, F. ScHwAnTz. 

